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Figure 3 | Alzheimer's Research & Therapy

Figure 3

From: Adjusting the compass: new insights into the role of angiogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease

Figure 3

Schematic model of how angiogenesis results in the breakdown of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Impaired cerebral blood flow (CBF) [48, 23, 2528], tight junction (TJ) disruption [21, 22, 67], and disturbances in proteins regulating amyloid beta (Aβ) levels in the brain, such as receptor for advanced glycation products (RAGE) and lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) [3138], are factors contributing to elevated Aβ levels and subsequent angiogenesis [24, 48, 61, 67, 70]. Inflammation gives rise to elevated pro-angiogenic cytokines such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), further promoting vascular remodeling in the AD brain [47, 5154]. Angiogenesis may also occur as a compensatory response to impaired CBF [47]. These processes lead to further Aβ secretion by endothelial cells, exacerbating angiogenesis and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), endothelial damage, and neurotoxicity.

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